NASA astronaut Mike Fincke and his international crewmates on the International Space Station (ISS) have beamed home a Christmas video message, celebrating the holidays with their “space family” while orbiting 250 miles (400 kilometers) above our planet. The crew of Expedition 74 has decked their orbital halls, hanging stockings by an airlock and sharing gratitude for the global teams supporting them.
As families on Earth gather, a unique celebration is unfolding in low-Earth orbit. For the astronauts aboard the International Space Station, Christmas is a time of breathtaking views and poignant reflection, a blend of profound separation and close-knit camaraderie. In a heartfelt video message, the crew shared their holiday spirit and the unique challenges of celebrating so far from home.
“Greetings to planet Earth, all of our friends and family, from Expedition 74 aboard the International Space Station, flying high above,” said Mike Fincke, NASA astronaut and commander of Expedition 74. He acknowledged the bittersweet nature of the season, reported Space.com, noting that while they miss their terrestrial families, they’ve found comfort in their orbital one. “It’s also a little bit sad because we’re not with our families at the time, but actually we are,” Fincke said. “We’re with our space family, so we’re okay.”
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The crew’s celebrations extend beyond the station’s walls, encompassing the vast network of Mission Control centers that operate 24/7. Their support team, Fincke added, spans the globe from NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston to centers in Japan, Europe, and Russia. This international collaboration is the silent heartbeat of every holiday meal and video call from space.
Finding ways to maintain tradition in microgravity is part of the fun. Flight engineer Chris Williams, a NASA astronaut, showed off their festive decorations inside the station’s Japanese Kibo laboratory. “We’ve got a little tree, and we’ve also hung some boots by the airlock with cheer,” he said, putting a zero-g spin on the classic Christmas sentiment. Williams arrived at the station on Thanksgiving, making this his first holiday season in space.
This year marks 25 years of continuous human habitation on the ISS, with crews spending every Christmas since 2000 in orbit. The tradition of holiday celebrations in space goes back even further, to the iconic Apollo 8 mission in 1968, which saw the first humans orbit the Moon on Christmas Eve. For many astronauts, however, being away from home during the holidays is a familiar experience from their pre-NASA careers.
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Zena Cardman, a NASA astronaut and geobiologist, pointed out that her past research expeditions in Antarctica and at sea prepared her for holidays away. “It’s so special for us to share the holidays with each other here in orbit, and with all of the teams taking care of us on the ground,” she stated, according to Space.com. She extended a special thanks to the families of both crew members and flight controllers, who also sacrifice shared time during the season.
When it comes to a potential visit from Santa Claus, Cardman humorously noted a logistical hurdle: “I think we may be orbiting a little higher than Santa is flying, though.” Meanwhile, Kimiya Yui, an astronaut with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), highlighted the importance of cultural sharing and culinary comfort. He promised to provide Japanese food for the crew’s holiday feast, a small taste of home drifting in weightlessness.
The video message featured four of the seven current ISS crew members. The trio of Roscosmos cosmonauts rounding out Expedition 74 did not appear but are undoubtedly part of the festive spirit. As Commander Fincke signed off, his words encapsulated a message of unity and hope seen from a rare vantage point: “So from all of us aboard the International Space Station to all of you, we would like to wish you the happiest of holiday seasons… Merry Christmas, and a happy, happy New Year.”
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